The Essential Chemical Industry - online Cig ot Aluminium ‘Aluminium is the most widely used metal after iron. It has a low density, is malleable and easly worked. Iti alsa corrosion Al resistant and a good conductor of both heat and electricity. With the exception of corrosion resistance, al these properties can be Improved or augmented by alloying aluminium with small amounts of ether metals. I is therefore not surprising that aluminium has a very wide range of applications. Uses of aluminium Pura aluminium is used princpally by the slecvonicsindusty for capacior fel hard disc drives and conductor Vacks on scon chips. However, nen alloyed with smallamounts of ether motas such as coppor, zinc, magnesium and wit slcon, aluminium becomes stongor (and can be ‘made even stongor than steel), For example, duralumin (dural) san alloy of aluminium, copper, manganese and magnesium, akmisium constiutng ca 94%. ‘Aluminum and its albys are extonsvely used in transport appications (rains, aeroplanes, ships and cars) where ther low densiy hobs reduce ‘ueleonsumption and carbon emissions. Beyckes can also benefit from reduced weight and increased strength Anat Importantuse ofthe alloys s in packaging, patcularly in drinks cans and in ot protect food. Household uses inclide saucepans and thor cooking utensis, and in bulsings tho alloys are used extensively in windows, doors and cladding roneetno 14% ‘Figure 1 Uses of aluminium. Annual production (Primary aluminium) ‘These figures are for pmary producto tom te ore bauxte and do nctInchide secondary producton fom eyed matoris Worts [50.3 millon tonnes (Chea | 32.0 milion tonnes uss | 3 millon tonnes ‘Canada | 2.9 millon tonnes India| 24 mifon tonnes a soto p Ae | 25 millon onnes5 Gs nr Commo Sear, 208 Manufacture of aluminium Primary manufacture involves four process a) extacton ofthe ore, bauxite ») puriicaton of bauxite to pure aluminium oxide (alumina) €) synthesis of eryole, NayAlFe and aluminium fore, to be used inthe electrolyte reduction process 6) electrolytic eduction of aluminium oxide to aluminium (a) Extraction of the ore, bauxite ‘Bauxte is one of the most abundant ores inthe wenld It found n particular large quanti lh Jamalea, Braz, Guinea, China and Indi The aluminium occurs inthe bauxite ores as te hydroxide AIOH)s (ghbbste) and AIO(OH) (boohmite and diaspore) (b) Purification of bauxite to aluminium oxide ‘The principalimpurtize in bauxite are ron(l oxide (2 -25%), siloa (I~ 7%) and ttanium doxise (2 - 3%), Pow ‘approximatly 10% sodium hydroxide sobtion andthe resultng miure heated under pressure (4 atm) at about 420 K. Under these conditons. bauxite is mixed wit AVOH)ss) + NaOH(aq) —* NaAlOr(aq) + 21,00) ‘The Insoluble restive (known as red mud fom the colour of ron oxie) I allowed to settle, washed to recover sodlum hydroxide, tered and then used inland restoration, where the deposited rescue fs covered wih top solland re-seeded. ‘The sodium aluminate solution's pumped to large preciptator tanks which may be over 24 m high and have capacities of 1000 m® or more. The soliton is cooled, ‘seeded wih aluminium hydroxide crystals and sired for upto three days, allowing crysalizaton to occur ina controled ‘manner so as to achieve the optimum paricle size dstbuton for processing in subsequent stages NaAlO,(a9) + 24,0) —> AOH)(6) + NaOH(aa) ston font ‘The aluminium hycroxide fs separated from sodium hydroxide solution by firation. A proporton of the aluminium hydroxide is retained for use as ‘se0d and the sodium hydroxide solution's recycle. The remaining sold aluminium hydroxide s heated in rotary kihs at about 1300 Kto produce aluminium oxie (aluminay 2A(OH)(s) P2%> AlO,(s) + 3H,0%6) ‘sums (0) Synthesis of cryolite and aluminium fluoride “The key fo the electrolyte reduction of aluminium the use of eryole which dissoWves the alumina and thus enables ito be eloctoysed Ccyake i syntesized in several ways, One ofthese ft prepare a soutonofsogkim aluminate fom alumina Os) + 2NaOHaa) —P 2NaAIOxaa) + H:00) Hydrogen hori is cde tots and eryoeis then prciatd on adtion of sodlum carbonate at bout 380K NaAlO,(aq) + OHF(ea) + NazCOs{aq) 2% NayAlF(aa) + 34,01) + CO,6) ‘Aiminum fuori ako added to aghsttheeectytecomposton and to make up ford losses during elacrohys. Alumni Mong is produced bythe eacton between akiminkm hyerxide and Wuorosice acs 2AKOH),(s) + H,SiF (aq) —> 2AIF;(aq) + SiO,{s) + 4H,0()) Fuorosici act is produced asa byproductin the manufacture ofhysrogen fuode(chemialhyérogenoriseheiaturesice_ acs) anc phosphor acid /chemicaliphosphorc-aci imi¢phosphorc_ ci). ‘The sic red of and aluminum urd cystal re obtained fom the fre, The ica then teated with hydrafuore acd to enable fares acd abe recycled ‘SiO{s) + 6HF(I) —> H,SiF;(aq) + 2H,0()) (d) Electrolytic reduction of aluminium oxide to aluminium ‘The commercial operaton fr reducg alumina lo aluminum an electro} process invented indopendenly but sinutaneousl by PaulHerout in France and Charles Halin te US 1886, Hug quanti of elacrty are equted (10-13 Kho lec part kg of amin) 80 ahuinkimsmeters need tobe ocalad cies to sources of cheap electe power os‘The proves uses areducton cel a shallow open-iopped steel box approximately 8 m by 4m by t m deep, the fhor of which f ined with graphite (carbon) which acts as the cathode connection n operation, the box's fled wih motion eryolte (at 1200 K) and a small amount (25%) of alumina. The side walls of the box are also lined wih carbon. The boxes are designed so that eryoltesoldties ina thin layer onthe surface of the electrolyte. Suspended in the electrolyte are several blocks of graphite which frm the anode. Figure 2 new lunioium set Iealand. Muses hydrosecrc power from th Karahlukar Project. Dams ‘hav bon bul to harness to vars produced rom the largest late in ‘MM Europe 1 Housing for slctotyte calle 2 Vantavon systom (duets) 3 Storage for raw matvas ‘Atypical factory contains about 400 such J cols and produces 300 000 tonnes of metal per year. Associated with tsa factory to fabricate ‘anodes (about 100 000 tonnes of anodes willbe reqused) and a casthouse to produce albyed metain a form which can be used by ater factories o produce sheet fol extrusions, tc ‘The exact nature ofthe electrolyte is not fully known but the overall reactions atthe electrodes can be represented as: © Cathode: AP + a —> AL @ Anode: 20% —» 0, +46" Moto aluminum is more dense than erytte and colects on th cellbottom where iforms the operating cathode, ts normalto operate a coll ith a pool of aluminium 10 em deep, the metal being siphoned off daly to maintain ths level. The metals generally cast as ingots, which are at least 99% pure wih small amounts of kon and slcon being the main impurities, [Atermatvly the metalis kept matin in a fumace to which abner elements are added to make alloys rir to cooling Motal of upto 98.989 % purty is produced by furthorrfing, ‘The process operates continuously wih fresh alumina being added regulary to maintain ts concentration in the ebscto}yte at 2-S(wiw% ‘Aluminum fuori s also added to ensure thatthe fuoride compositon is kept constant. The fiorée lowers the meting point ofthe eryot- ‘alumina mix, thereby saving power, Some of the tvaride i ost uring electoWyss, party by hydrlyss fram molstue inthe ar whin yells hydrogen tuoride: 2AIFs) + 3H,O[g) —> AZO3() + HF) : - . Figure 3 An electrolyte cl forth manufacture of auminium. Carbon is consumed in the anode process, much ofitreacting with the berated oxygen fs) + Ox(9) —* COxlo) ‘The anode blocks must thus be renewed regulary. Typical a cellnas twenty anode blocks, one being replaced each ay na twenty day cycle {to replace all ofthe blocks at once would result too much cooling ofthe cel), wah the block size being designed to give an operating Ife of 20- 24 days. ‘Modern cols operate at 150 000-360 000 amps and 4.0 -45 voll, each producing 1-2 tonn of alminium por day. ‘The consumpbon of carbon anodes resus in high carbon dioxide emissions from te process. The ideal would belo use inert anodes tha nolcoraumed. Some proming areas oresearh vate ung ceramic ata bsedon he xe ft, amon and coppe These Conducting, eat resistant and inert, and can be used instead of carbon anodes, signcanty reducing carbon dioxide omissions, °*N TPSecondary production ‘ver S0% ofthe amin used io make now produ comes om sp, of ich wo tides new scrap’ Yprocesseaheeytnginhe- chemcakndusryhtnitcrep), Amini canbe easly rzyle alow cost (using about 5% ofthe energy reauted for primary production and nproxiraaly 60% of European consumpon i recyced metal Nas even been estinated tht nods of ae alominkim monuacred since corm production starts i886 i sm use today. “The aluminum sp, ina stetumace ined by almina bricks. js heated fom outs he furnace wi gas oil bumers. The mallen alin is thenrun of and sokfied as ingots ‘Amram can be product edly meltad and re-used. Recycng 1 kg of iminium saves up o kg of Bauxte ore and 4 kg of aber chemical ‘The ‘old scrap’ used products, are alloys of diferent compositions so tis better to use tho old scrap to remake the same product An example is now cans made from old cans. The diferent used products are therefore collected and sorted before being remeled. To make recycing even ‘mare econ, the gases produced when burning off coatings used fr laboling can be used as fuel for melting the scrap metal Date last amended: 24th September 2016 (hostname https Aninvitation We invite you to wite tous fyou have any specific comments about this ste, for example ‘errors that you have found, suggestions for new topics orfor adding tthe existing unt, ‘suggestions for Inks to other ses and addtions or alteatves to cur examples. 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